Prevent attacks: Abbas to forces

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ordered security forces on Monday to prevent all attacks on Israel by militants who have defied his calls for calm, a cabinet minister said.

Israel described the measure as a 8216;small step8217;, but not enough to resume ties with Abbas, which it cut the day before he was sworn in to succeed Yasser Arafat on Saturday. The Israeli move followed an attack that killed six Israelis.

Meanwhile, Israeli jets bombed Hizbollah positions in Lebanon after an attack on Israeli soil.

Israel has made a halt to violence a condition for talks and the bloodshed in Gaza has weighed on optimism for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after Arafat8217;s death.8216;8216;Abu Mazen Abbas and the cabinet gave clear instructions to the security chiefs to prevent all kinds of violence, including attacks against Israel,8217;8217; Cabinet Minister Qadoura Fares said.